Science-led Consortium Approach for Inclusive Market Oriented Development (IMOD) through Suvarna Bhoomi Yojane (SBY) in Karnataka: A Compendium of Success Stories
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International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics ICRISAT. (2/4/2012). Science-led Consortium Approach for Inclusive Market Oriented Development (IMOD) through Suvarna Bhoomi Yojane (SBY) in Karnataka: A Compendium of Success Stories. Hyderabad, India: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
Abstract
Government of Karnataka has taken up a novel initiative viz., Survarna Bhoomi Yojane
(SBY) to support small and marginal farmers by shifting them from growing low-value
crops to high-value crops. The Government has deposited d Rs. 10,000 cash into the bank
accounts of the farmers as an incentive to motivate them to develop two acres of land with
high value crops. The Department of Horticulture, Government of Karnataka, has supported
ICRISAT in providing technical support to SBY-H beneficiaries, totalling 0.25 million in 30
districts.
To help small and marginal farmers achieve improved yield and production, taluk-wise
nutrient management recommendations were developed for major crops based on the soiltest
results from Bhoochetana program, and shared with the department officials, NGO
partners and the farmers through farm facilitators. For demonstrating the benefits of
improved management practices, farmer participatory demonstrations were conducted in all
the 30 districts. Research technicians, NGO partners, DoH officials and farm facilitators were
given demonstrations on best-bet management practices including soil-test-based nutrient
management, water management, best IPM, use of improved cultivars and apiculture.
Successful case studies were identified and information was collected covering major socioeconomic
and agronomic aspects. These success stories from different districts clearly
demonstrated increased crop yields of chili, brinjal, onion, okra, tomato, garlic, beans,
flowers, watermelon, etc. The yield was increased by 8 to 65 per cent over the farmers’
practices in different districts for different crops. These results clearly showed the benefits of
improved management practices and increased the incomes of the farmers. The information
from success stories also revealed that there is a great deal of gender participation. About 24
per cent of women farmers from different social groups participated in diversifying their
crop pattern from low value crops to high value crops and were subsequently benefited. The
beneficiaries, who have the facility of irrigation, effectively put their efforts to improve their
yield, which resulted in good output. Rain-fed cultivation of selected of crops has responded
on par with irrigated cultivation due to improved management practices. Beneficiary
farmers feel that consortium approach in implementing the SBY yielded greater benefits in
terms of timely reaching out to farmers as well as consortium partners. Also spillover effect
was observed as the neighboring farmers too adopted improved practices to benefit from
increased productivity. Suvarna Bhoomi Yojane (SBY) through its technical backstopping
benefited in upgrading farmers’ capacity with improved agricultural technologies which in
turn helped in successfully intensifying and diversifying smallholder farming and
implementing inclusive market oriented development approach (IMOD). In brief, the
ICRISAT-DoH led consortium has helped the farmers in increasing their crop yields and
incomes.
